Prineville police patrol car struck at intersection

No injuries; other driver cited for failure to yield

The patrol car of a Prineville police sergeant responding to an emergency call was struck by a pickup at a northeast Prineville intersection, causing no injuries but resulting in the other driver being cited, Crook County sheriff’s deputies said Friday.

The crash occurred around 7:40 a.m. Wednesday at the corner of NE Third and Harwood streets in Prineville, said sheriff’s Sgt. James Savage.

Police Sgt. Ray Cuellar was responding to an emergency call for service in his patrol car, with emergency lights and siren activated, Savage said.

Cuellar pulled up to the intersection and stopped for traffic. Oncoming cars began to yield to his emergency lights and sirens, Savage said, so he proceeded into the intersection.

At that point, Leonardo Olivera-Zapien, 30, of Madras, pulled out into the intersection, heading east in a 1992 Toyota pickup, striking Cuellar’s patrol car at low speed, Savage said.

Olivera-Zapien was cited for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.

Copyright 2013 KTVZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed